Archive for the ‘GeoEye-1’ Category

Satellite imagery provider DigitalGlobe has made a request for the US government to lift restrictions on the pixel resolution of available commercial satellite imagery to better compete against non-US-based companies.

DigitalGlobe argues that the quality of commercial aerial photography — like images available on Google and Bing map websites — is in more than 90 countries at 5-centimeters resolution. These images are taken from an aircraft, not a satellite.

The petition was made to the Commerce Department and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to lift restrictions that limit the quality of commercially available satellite images to 0.5 meter resolution.

Without the waiver, US government agencies and strategic partners will be the only customers allowed access to the highest resolution images.

The request was made on May 14, 2013 but has yet to receive a ruling. Astrium has also requested a lift to the French government. Astrium’s Pleiades 1A/1B satellite, offers satellite imagery at 0.5 meter resolution.

By allowing higher resolution satellite imagery to commercial customers will help the US maintain a technological edge over foreign companies.

About Satellite Imaging Corporation

Satellite Imaging Corporation (SIC), a privately held technology company that provides high resolution satellite imagery and image processing services for analysis and to support Geographic Information System (GIS) and other mapping and research applications.

Pleiades-1 (0.5m) satellite sensor captured the first panchromatic satellite images after its successful launch from Kourou launch site (French Guiana) via a Russian Soyuz ST rocket on December 16, 2011. The launch marked a new step in French-Russian cooperation: it is the second time when the Russian launch vehicle “Soyuz-ST” took off from the French site. The Pléiades system was designed under the French-Italian ORFEO program (Optical & Radar Federated Earth Observation) between 2001 and 2003.

Pleiades-1 will represent the first very high-resolution satellite from SPOT and will be capable of providing orthorectified color data at 0.5-meter resolution (roughly comparable to GeoEye-1) and revisiting any point on Earth as it covers a total of 1 million square kilometers (approximately 386,102 square miles) daily. Perhaps most importantly, Pleiades-1 will be capable of acquiring high-resolution stereo imagery in just one pass, and can accommodate large areas (up to 1,000 km x 1,000 km).

The Pléiades constellation is composed of two very-high-resolution optical Earth-imaging satellites. Pléiades-1 and Pléiades-2 will provide coverage of Earth’s surface with a repeat cycle of 26 days. Their great agility enables a daily access all over the world, which is a critical need for defense and civil security applications, and a coverage capacity necessary for the cartography kind of applications at scales better than those accessible to SPOT family satellites. Moreover, Pleiades have stereoscopic acquisition capacity to meet the fine cartography needs, notably in urban regions. Pléiades-2 will launch in mid-2012.

Pleaides-1 Satellite Sensor

(Image credit: Astrium/CNES)

The satellite will feature four spectral bands (blue, green, red, and IR), as well as image location accuracy of 4.5m (CE90) without ground control points, a wide swath of a scene (20 km, whereas the best US remote sensing satellites have 11-16 km of swath width). Image location accuracy can be improved even further — up to an exceptional 1 meter — by the use of GCPs. Because the satellite has been designed with urgent tasking in mind, images can be requested from Pleiades-1 less then six hours before they are acquired. This functionality will prove invaluable in situations where the expedited collection of new image data is crucial, such as crisis monitoring.

Furthermore, Pleiades constellation offers new services delivering precise geospatial information in record time and capabilities that marks a shift in the Earth imaging sector. With 450 images acquired every day by each satellite, five acquisition scenarios, and three daily tasking plans, the Pleiades system is tailored to meet the needs of real-time applications.

After 30 years of spaceflight, more than 130 missions, and numerous science and technology firsts, NASA’s space shuttle fleet will retire and be on display at institutions across the country to inspire the next generation of explorers and engineers.

This half-meter resolution satellite image shows the Space Shuttle Endeavour on Launch Pad 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, Florida, awaiting launch to the International Space Station. According to news reports, as of May 4, 2011, Endeavour will launch no sooner than May 16, 2011, which would be the 36th shuttle mission to the station and the 134th and final flight of Endeavour. GeoEye tasked its GeoEye-1 Satellite on May 1, 2011 to collect this image of Cape Canaveral at 10:53 a.m. local time, while flying 423 miles above the Earth at an average speed of 17,000 mph.

The Endeavour was launched on April 12, 1981 and was named after the first ship commanded by 18th century British explorer James Cook. On its maiden voyage in 1768, Cook sailed into the South Pacific and around Tahiti to observe the passage of Venus between the Earth and the Sun. During another leg of the journey, Cook discovered New Zealand, surveyed Australia and navigated the Great Barrier Reef.

More information on the Space Shuttle Endeavor on NASA website, visit here.

Satellite images captured the catastrophic earthquake and tsunami damages in result of a 8.9-magnitude earthquake that hit northern Japan early Friday March 11, 2011. The earthquake triggered a massive tsunami that caused widespread devastation and damaging a nuclear power plant. Thousands are unaccounted for while search and rescue efforts continue fearing the death toll will rise in the thousands. Japan’s Prime Minister says this is the worst crisis that hit Japan since WWII.

Japan’s troubled Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant, otherwise known as Fukushima Daiichi, appears in this WorldView-2 satellite image (above) that was captured following an explosion at Unit 3 on March 14, 2011. Click on images to view in high resolution.

Friday’s tsunami disasters damaged a series of nuclear reactors (satellite images above), first reactor No. 1, then No. 3, No. 2 and today No. 4 was reported on fire. Japan suspended operations to prevent a stricken nuclear plant from melting down Wednesday after a surge in radiation made it too dangerous for workers to remain at the facility.

This one-meter resolution satellite image of Sendai, Japan (above), was taken one day after an 8.9-magnitude earthquake struck the Oshika Peninsula on March 11, 2011. According to news reports, this is the largest earthquake to hit Japan in recorded history. Analysts believe the powerful earthquake moved Japan’s main island eight feet (2.4 meters), shifted the Earth on its axis four inches (10 centimeters), and unleashed a devastating tsunami. The imagery shows extensive destruction to buildings, vehicles and infrastructure. Entire regions have been flooded, swept away or reduced to ruin. The image was taken by GeoEye’s IKONOS satellite at 10:36 a.m. (local time) on March 12, 2011 from 423 miles in space as it moved from north to south over Japan at a speed of four miles per second.

The above satellite images were captured from high resolution satellite sensors and shows damages to communities, buildings and roads. Satellite imagery is used to get ground and air assessments of the damage to help rescue and relief workers to focus on their efforts to respond to emergencies and natural disasters.

Damage and Recovery Assessments

Satellite images and aerial photography greatly aids rescue efforts for emergency personnel to access damage from tsunamis and earthquakes and allows government agencies the ability to view the damage from multiple vantage points. The spatial resolution of an image determines the ability to view individual features such as buildings and bridges. It also affects the ability to monitor and assess damage conditions.

Satellite Images have gained popularity in the video game industry and continue to grow. With the availability of high resolution Stereo Satellite Imagery such as GeoEye-1 (0.5m) and IKONOS (0.8m) gamers can experience video games in a realistic 3D simulated world such as Ubisoft’s Tom Clancy’s H.A.W.X. and H.A.W.X. 2.

GeoEye-1 Satellite Imagery has been used to map the ground of Ubisoft’s air-combat title Tom Clancy’s H.A.W.X. 2 for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, the PlayStation 3 computer entertainment system, Windows PC and the Wii system from Nintendo.

The high resolution satellite imagery is taken from the GeoEye-1 satellite sensor from 423 miles from Earth with diverse vistas, including mountains, deserts, mountainous coastal regions and some well known cities, like Cape Town, South Africa allows piloting the planes with very realistic experience.

To view more high resolution satellite images of H.A.W.X. 2 in XBOX 360 version visit here.

Stereo Satellite images in support of a detailed terrain surface elevation model can assist video game developers to create a simulation model and visualize the urban and landscape space in three dimensions. 3D terrain models have a variety of applications and provide accurate cartographic feature extraction, map updating, digital city modeling and 3D city models in urban areas which are essential to virtual reality environments. While they are generally used to simply visualize the built environment, they are now being used as 3D interfaces for more sophisticated simulation modeling.

In most of these cases the models of buildings, urban features, terrain surface, and vegetation are the primary features of interest. LiDAR data (Light Detection And Ranging) is a mature technology for obtaining the Digital Surface Models (DSM’s) of the earth’s surface. It is a fast method for sampling the earth’s surface with a high density and high positional accuracy. This data when combined with satellite imagery can be used to create highly detailed Digital Surface Models (DSM’s) and eventually Digital Elevation Models (DEMs) to create a 3D virtual world.

LiDAR can generate a three-dimensional dense, geo-referenced points cloud for the reflective terrain surface. The original LiDAR data consists of tremendous points returned from all possible reflective terrain objects, including bare-earth, buildings, bridges, vehicles, trees, and other non-ground features. For many topographic, hydrographic, agricultural, and construction applications, the non-ground (bare-earth) returns must be detected, separated and removed in order to generate the digital terrain model.

A general classification of 3D city models, based on their operational purposes, might be organized around four main types:

If a 3D simulation modeling and visualization application requires good detail pertaining to the terrain features and terrain slopes for critical project decisions, an accurate digital terrain model (DTM) and a digital surface model (DSM) must be available.

The company specializes in mono and stereo satellite imaging technology producing seamless orthorectified satellite imaging mosaics DEM’s and 3D terrain models for many industries using CAD and GIS applications using high and medium resolution mono and stereo satellite image data.

IKONOS the world’s first commercial high-resolution Earth observing Satellite celebrates its 11th year in orbit. The IKONOS Satellite sensor was designed and built by Lockheed Martin and is operated by GeoEye.

IKONOS was launched on September 24, 1999 with a 0.82 meter resolution capable of capturing a 3.28m multispectral, Near-Infrared (NIR) at nadir. Its applications include environmental monitoring, government, homeland security, tax mapping, mining, land management, disaster relief and other geospatial applications. The spacecraft continues to collect black-and-white imagery while simultaneously collecting multispectral data for more than four years beyond its initial design life.

To view high resolution satellite images from the IKONOS satellite visit here.

The IKONOS Satellite sensor can be programmed to acquire Stereo Imagery for the production of Digital Surface Models (DSM’s) or Digital Elevation Models (DEM’s) with postings of 2m – 3m. From the Stereo pair the near Nadir scene will be utilized to produce <1m Natural Color Satellite Image mosaic.

Other Sensors Operated by GeoEye

GeoEye-1

GeoEye-1 launched on September 6, 2008 is capable of acquiring image data at 0.41 meter panchromatic (B&W) and 1.64 meter multispectral resolution. It also features a revisit time of less than three days, as well as the ability to locate an object within just three meters of its physical location.

This sensor is optimized for large projects, as it can collect over 350,000 square kilometers of pan-sharpened multispectral Satellite imagery every day.

Lockheed Martin Space Systems is progressing steadily under a contract to design, build, and launch GeoEye’s next-generation, commercial Earth-imaging satellite, known as GeoEye-2. GeoEye-2 will be launched aboard an Atlas V rocket provided by Lockheed Martin Commercial Launch Services and will be operational in early 2013.

The GeoEye-2 Satellite sensor will benefit from significant improvements in capability, including enhanced direct tasking, and the potential to collect imagery of the Earth’s surface at 0.25-meter or 9.75-inch ground resolution.

Satellite Imaging Corporation (SIC), a privately held technology company that provides high resolution satellite imagery from satellite sensors such as GeoEye-1, WorldView-2 Worldview-1, QuickBird, IKONOS, SPOT-5 and other remote sensing products for analysis and mapping applications such as Geographic Information System (GIS).

The company specializes in mono and stereo satellite imaging technology producing seamless orthorectified satellite imaging mosaics DEM’s and 3D terrain models for many industries using CAD and GIS applications using high and medium resolution mono and stereo satellite image data.

Satellite images support the Gulf of Mexico oil spill response and cleanup with spill mapping including documenting the condition of coastal wetlands before oil landfall. Satellite imagery will assist response teams in forecasting the trajectory of the oil and in documenting changes in the ecosystem.

Satellites can document the overall extent of the oil but cannot distinguish between the sheen and thick patches. While the sheen represents most of the area of the slick, the majority of the oil is concentrated in the thicker part. Satellite images should be able to identify the thicker parts, helping oil spill responders know where to deploy oil-skimming boats and absorbent booms.

This half-meter resolution satellite image (above) features a portion of the oil slick in the Gulf of Mexico. Streaks of oil blown by wind and currents can easily be seen against the darker colored water. The image was taken by the GeoEye-1 satellite from 423 miles in space on April 29, 2010 as it moved from north to south over the United States at a speed of four miles per second.

Researchers also plan to measure changes in vegetation along the coastline and assess where and how oil may be affecting marshes, swamps, bayous, and beaches that are difficult to survey on the ground.

Researchers and scientists will be:

* Collecting satellite imagery to assess the impact on wetlands and coasts
* Developing maps showing NOAA projections of spill trajectory with respect to DOI Lands
* Collecting samples to ascertain source and levels of toxicity to soils and water systems
* Conducting tests to determine cause of mortality of wildlife
* Developing models that depict how local tidal and current conditions will interact with seafloor bathymetry to carry oil over barrier islands
* Providing decision support tools to help DOI land managers mitigate the effects of the oil spill and assist in restoration efforts

WorldView-2 Satellite Image of Gulf Oil Spill

(Image Credit: DigitalGlobe)

This is an enhanced satellite image of the oil spill and clean up effort in the Gulf of Mexico.

This image leverages the different sensor bands of the WorldView-2 satellite to highlight the oil and dispersant.

The oil spill from the Deepwater Horizon oil rig occurred after an explosion on April 20, 2010 and various methods of containing the oil spill have been developed, including controlled burns, domes over the oil spill, and the use of remotely operated vehicles to manipulate equipment on the sea floor.

To watch a time lapse video of satellite images of the Gulf Oil Spill visit here.

About Satellite Imaging Corporation:

Satellite Imaging Corporation (SIC), a privately held technology company that provides high resolution satellite imagery from satellite sensors such as GeoEye-1, WorldView-2 Worldview-1, QuickBird, IKONOS, SPOT-5 and other remote sensing products for analysis and mapping applications such as Geographic Information System (GIS).

Satellite images of the construction and newly completed Cape Town Stadium (also known as Green Point Stadium) in Cape Town, South Africa a 68,000 seat multi-purpose stadium built for the FIFA World Cup 2010.

The Green Point Stadium which was demolished in 2007 with a 18,000 seat capacity hosted many football matches including the Santos Football Club and Ajax Cape Town at different points and to various popular music concerts including Michal Jackson.

Construction began in March of 2007 and took 33 months to complete costing approximately US $600 million. The stadium was completed in December of 2009.

The stadium is located in Green Point, between Signal Hill and the Atlantic Ocean, near the Cape Town city center. The stadium will host first round, second round, quarter, and semi-final matches. GeoEye-1 .50-meter resolution collected this image September 11, 2009.

After the 2010 World Cup, the stadium will be reduced to a capacity of 55, 000 and will cater to various sports, including rugby, as well as music concerts and other major events.

Satellite Imaging Corporation (SIC), a privately held technology company that provides high resolution satellite imagery from satellite sensors such as GeoEye-1, WorldView-2 Worldview-1, QuickBird, IKONOS, SPOT-5 and other remote sensing products for analysis and mapping applications such as Geographic Information System (GIS).

Satellite images captured the damage of the 7.1 magnitude earthquake that hit Yushu, China last week. The quake struck the Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Yushu Wednesday and has left 12,135 injured, of whom 1,434 are in serious condition.

The death toll has climbed to 2,039 from the earthquake in northwest China’s Qinghai Province, with 195 people still missing, according to the rescue headquarters.

GeoEye-1 (0.5m) satellite image of Yushu, China, was taken one day after a 7.1-magnitude earthquake struck the area April 14,2010. Although high-rise buildings appear to be standing, likely due to modern construction standards, there is extensive destruction to smaller structures in the lower left quadrant of the image. These smaller dwellings have been largely reduced to rubble. Vehicles crowd the main street near the town square along the river where people have gathered and temporary structures have been erected. Bridges appear to be intact but could be damaged. The satellite image was taken by the GeoEye-1 satellite sensor from 423 miles in space on April 15, 2010 as it moved from north to south over China at a speed of four miles per second.

In Gyegu, thousands of wood-earth buildings collapsed and many larger structured were heavily damaged or destroyed. At an elevation of 3,700m (12,000 ft) and connected by few roads, most of which were damaged in the quake, is difficult to reach for the response teams.

Rescuers continue to search for survivors as homeless residents work to recover what they can and set up shelter from the freezing overnight temperatures.

Satellite Imaging Corporation (SIC), a privately held technology company that provides high resolution satellite imagery from satellite sensors such as GeoEye-1, WorldView-2 Worldview-1, QuickBird, IKONOS, SPOT-5 and other remote sensing products for analysis and mapping applications such as Geographic Information System (GIS).

Artist sketch of GeoEye’s next-generation, high-resolution Earth-imaging satellite, GeoEye-2 orbiting above the earth. GeoEye selected Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company to build GeoEye-2, which is expected to launch in late 2012. Once launched, the satellite will provide the world’s highest resolution and most accurate color imagery to government and commercial customers.

The third generation satellite will provide same capabilities as the GeoEye-1 satellite but will provide customer demands for increased quantities of imagery at higher resolution.

Lockheed Martin built GeoEye’s IKONOS satellite. Launched in 1999, IKONOS has exceeded 10 years of successful on-orbit operations. It continues to provide high-resolution imagery of the Earth to GeoEye’s commercial and government customers around the world.

About Satellite Imaging Corporation:

Satellite Imaging Corporation (SIC), a privately held technology company that provides high resolution satellite imagery from satellite sensors such as GeoEye-1, WorldView-2 Worldview-1, QuickBird, IKONOS, SPOT-5 and other remote sensing products for analysis and mapping applications such as Geographic Information System (GIS).